Banquet Encounter
by Sreya
Summary: Princess Leia encounters an enigmatic figure when at a banquet with her father, Bail Organa -- a figure Bail


  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations   
created and owned by Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made and   
no infringement is intended.   
  
~Banquet Encounter~   
by Sreya   
  
Princess Leia stood at her father's side greeting the other guests   
at the banquet she'd accompanied him to. At fourteen, she was   
undoubtably the youngest person there. But her father knew of   
her strong desire to enter politics, and had offered her a chance   
to attend this particular function, since many of the Senators and   
planetary rulers of the Empire would be there.   
  
Indeed, the room swarmed with political elites. Senators, aides,   
kings, chancellors, and councilors were talking with one another   
everywhere Leia looked. Yet, as she stood there, she suddenly   
realised something... there were only humans in the room.   
  
Even on Alderaan, a world colonized by humans generations ago   
and widely considered a human planet, the cities were crowded   
with a myriad of species. And Leia had seen hundreds of species   
on Coruscant... yet only one was represented in the banquet hall.   
  
As Leia smiled and held out her hand to a Moff her father was   
introducing her to, she made a mental note to ask Bail about that   
little inconsistency when they were alone.   
  
"Bail! How good to see you again!" A man three times the normal   
size came walking ("waddling" Leia thought with a mental giggle)   
over to the two Organas. "You haven't aged a day! And who is this   
charming young woman on your arm? This can't be little Leia, can   
it?"   
  
Leia knew she must be blushing furiously and clung to her father,   
who laughed. "Darvin, it has been 10 years, after all. How have you   
been? Still running Corellia in tiptop shape?"   
  
"Trying to!" The large man grinned at Leia, then bowed,   
surprisingly graceful, given his size. "Forgive me, Your Highness, if   
I embarrassed you. Sometimes my enthusiasm overtakes my   
mouth before I have a chance to think."   
  
"It is of no concern." Leia replied, trying to grasp some vestiges   
of a Princess image. "I take it you and Father are good friends?"   
  
"The best of friends, once upon a time." Darvin's eyes twinkled as   
if he were enjoying some private joke. "Princess, if I were to ask,   
could I gain permission to steal away your father for a few   
moments?"   
  
"You could," Leia replied, arching a fourteen year old eyebrow, "if   
you were to ask."   
  
"By the goddesses, you've trained her well, Bail." Leia's father only   
laughed at the exasperated expression on Darvin's face. "Well,   
I'm asking. If you'll excuse us, Your Highness."   
  
Bail turned to Leia. "This should only take a few moments. Wait   
here for me."   
  
Leia nodded, and watched Bail follow the jolly Corellian over to a   
knot of politicians. She looked around her for a familiar face, but   
saw none. She sighed, trying to fight down her boredom. 'You'll   
never survive in the Senate if you can't even last through a   
banquet,' she scolded herself. She tried to imagine the banquets   
she'd attended back home on Alderaan... they may have been   
stuffy, but at least she'd known the people attending, and had   
been able to follow the conversations. But what did she know   
about the bacta trade on Thyferra, or the trade agreements   
between Bespin and Cordula?   
  
It seemed she had a long way to go before she could enter   
intergalactic politics.   
  
Leia had just started mentally reviewing Alderaan's charter when   
she heard a strange sound behind her. It almost sounded like   
breathing, but it was very regulated and mechanical... and loud.   
  
She turned slowly to see what was making the noise, and when she   
saw the origin, it felt as if her heart had leapt up into her throat.   
A bipedal being stood to her right, encased in black. Lights flashed   
on the being's chest, and glinted off the helmet worn on the head.   
Though Leia had never personally encountered this being before, a   
name immediately sprang to mind.   
  
Lord Vader.   
  
And he was holding out a cup to her.   
  
"I thought you might like some refreshment, Your Highness."   
  
Leia swallowed, trying to slow her racing heart. "Thank you, Lord   
Vader." She timidly grasped the offered cup, her white hand   
looking miniaturized next to his enormous black-gloved grip. She   
raised the cup to her lips, hardly tasting the pink juice it   
contained. Her eyes were riveted to the Dark Lord, her mind filled   
with memories of his whispered name.   
  
"Your Highness must be ambitious to brave such an event at such   
a young age."   
  
She could feel his deep voice reverberating inside her ribcage. "My   
father thought it would be a good learning experience," she   
replied, slowly regaining her courage. "I plan to become a Senator."   
  
"And do what?"   
  
The question surprised Leia. 'Isn't it obvious?' she thought to   
herself. "Help the galaxy."   
  
Vader waved his hand as if brushing the reply away, while at the   
same time indicating the room's occupants. "There are thousands   
of fools trying to help the galaxy, each pulling in a different   
direction, only making things worse than when they started. What   
makes you think you will be any different?"   
  
Leia stared, then realized Vader was serious. She thought for a   
few minutes before answering this time. "Then perhaps I can lead   
them to all pull in one direction."   
  
Vader turned his helmet toward Leia, truly looking at her for the   
first time, and she had the eerie feeling that he was peering into   
her soul. She shrank back, realizing that the other humans   
previously crowding her had moved away.   
  
Then an odd sound came from Lord Vader. Leia couldn't be sure   
because of the mechanical breathing, but it sounded... it sounded   
like a chuckle. "I can see you shall go far, Princess Leia Organa of   
Alderaan. You shall go far and accomplish many things." Then he   
looked away, gazing at something across the room. "We shall   
meet again, Young Princess."   
  
Lord Vader turned and strode away, a path opening in the crowd   
for him. Leia turned to see what he had been looking at... and   
looked straight into the terrified eyes of her father. A moment   
later, Bail Organa was fighting his way through the crowd. When   
he reached her, he grabbed her right arm, pulling her to a   
secluded alcove. Shocked, Leia let him pull her along. When they   
reached the alcove, Bail shot a furtive look around before   
speaking. "What did he want? What did he say?"   
  
Surprised, Leia could do no more than stare at her father.   
  
"Did he hurt you?"   
  
"No!" Finally, Leia regained her voice. "He offered me a drink, then   
spoke with me a little. That's all."   
  
"What did he say?" Bail spoke in a tone of voice Leia had never   
heard before - sharp and high with fear.   
  
"He asked me why I was here, that's all. Polite conversation." Leia   
couldn't understand why her father was so terrified... he was   
almost shaking! "Father, is something wrong?"   
  
"He didn't harm you in any way?"   
  
"No. He merely asked me why someone so young was here, then   
was very polite. I don't believe he's spent much time with   
adolescents."   
  
Bail sagged against the wall, convulsing.   
  
"Father!" Leia reached out to him, then realized he was laughing.   
  
"No, dearest, he hasn't had much experience with adolescents."   
After a few moments, the Viceroy of Alderaan visibly collected   
himself. "Come, Leia, I think we've both had enough for one   
evening. We won't be missed."   
  
Leia nodded, then followed her father through the banquet hall.   
She tried to catch another glimpse of Lord Vader, but he seemed   
to have disappeared. She thought back over his strange   
pronouncement: "You shall go far and accomplish many things."   
  
Princess Leia certainly hoped he was right. 


End file.
